Short Story Recommendations
Excellent short stories that have stuck with me and will stick with you too.
1) The Dead by James Joyce
I might be biased towards this one because I had to spend so much time studying it for one of my final papers in college but this is just a fantastic story. Set in Ireland The Dead follows a dinner party hosted by Gabriel Conroy’s elderly Aunts. Discussing themes of life and death the story is also very interesting in how it treats colonialism. During Joyce’s lifetime Ireland was in a constant fight for independence from England, making for a very bloody and violent time as is reflected by many of the writers of the time. And so The Dead focuses a lot on the loss of identity and of self due to colonialism. Plus Joyce’s prose is so pretty!
2) The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
If you didn’t have to read this in high school you’re in for a real treat. The story follows a woman who has recently been moved into an isolated house as part of the “rest cure” by her husband following giving birth. The narrator suffers from post-partum psychosis and increasingly gives into “madness” as she believes the yellow wallpaper in her new bedroom is evil. The story is considered one of the first explicitly feminist short stories and was revolutionary (still is) for it’s discussion of post-partum depression, mental illness, and clear rejection of the patriarchy.
3) A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri
This one is a bit of an emotional doozy. Following the tragic loss of their child an Indian-American couple start to reconnect when their street’s power goes out. This is a heart wrenching, punch you in the gut kind of story but it’s so beautifully written and so so tragically human that you’ll accept the pain that comes along with reading it. Also of note, the larger collection this story is in won the Pulitzer prize, I tell you this writing is *chef’s kiss.
4) Teeth by Erin McGraw
This is a more recent one I’ve read but it’s really stuck with me. This story focuses on the secretary at a dentist office on the morning her car breaks down. But it’s really about generational poverty examined through the lens of the dentist and teeth appearance. It’s really interesting and a very short but fulfilling read.
5) Mothers by Carmen Maria Machado
This is a very surreal one. Machado’s prose is stunning and luscious that you will get wrapped up and have to read read the story a few times to parse out what you want the meaning to be. This is a story you have to work a little for, and one that doesn’t give you a clear resolution but you won’t care because it’s so beautiful to read. In non-linear fashion the narrator tells us about her relationship with her ex-girlfriend “Bad” while in present day she is dealing with caring for the baby that is supposedly theirs. Just a content warning though this story depicts a very abusive and manipulative relationship and coming to terms with moving on from that relationship.
